This invention relates generally to electronic amusement devices and more particularly to an electronic game of skill in which the participant "shoots" at targets and is faced with simulated return fire directed toward his or her person.
The electronic games that have been developed in recent years have for the most part involved a video screen on which the player or players carry out various manipulations through control levers or knobs. Other types of amusement devices have been developed in which the participant "shoots" a beam of light at targets, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,202,425 to Van Hennik and U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,776 to Goldfarb. In a somewhat similar manner, the gunnery training device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,549,147 to Katter et al includes simulated weapons that emit beams toward targets.
Frequently, either the machine or an opposing player can counterattack the player's weapon or his symbol on the playing screen, thereby requiring suitable manipulation of the controls to evade the counterattack. However, to our knowledge, no electronic game has been proposed having the capability of directing a counterattack at the actual person of the game participant. The present invention provides such a game and thereby requires the player to physically evade the counterattack.
It is the primary object of the invention to provide an electronic amusement game in which the game participant "shoots" a simulated weapon at targets while at the same time attempting to evade simulated return fire which is directed actually at the body of the player. In accordance with the invention, the game participant is stationed in a player zone which is relatively restricted in size. Targets situated away from the player zone take the form of individual lamps which are energized briefly one at a time in a random or apparently random sequence. The player has a hand weapon that is equipped with a photosensor and a trigger. If the weapon is accurately aimed at an energized target when the trigger is depressed, a target "hit" is recorded in favor of the player. The player is allotted a preselected number of shots, and the game ends when all of the shots have been expanded. A running total of the number of target hits is digitally displayed, as is the number of shots the player has remaining at any time.
It is an important feature of the invention that return "shots" are periodically fired at the person of the player. The return shots can originate either from the targets or from separate hazard weapons that direct infrared beams toward the player zone in a preferred form of the invention. Reflectors situated behind the player receive the beams and reflect them back to receivers in the hazard weapons unless the body of the player is in the path of an active beam, in which case the beam is intercepted. Then, the receiver fails to receive the reflected beam and a player hit is recorded, ending the game in favor of the machine.
Suitable electronic components and circuitry are provided to perform all of the required functions in an effective yet economical manner. Preferably, an audible warning tone is given immediately before each beam emission from one of the hazard weapons. The number and arrangement of the targets and hazard weapons can be varied virtually without limitation.